1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus that outputs a display screen or sound to a plurality of display devices and includes a plurality of IR remote control receiving units and in particular, to an information processing apparatus capable of performing switching between IR remote control receiving units in synchronization with switching of an output destination of a display screen or sound.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, in an information processing apparatus, such as a notebook PC (personal computer), display devices such as an external monitor or a TV are connected so that an output destination of the display screen or sound can be switched between the display devices. In this case, a user may switch a display device that performs output by using utility of an output driver, a hot key (shortcut key using a keyboard), and the like in the information processing apparatus.
Therefore, an operation system in which a remote controller determines a display to be operated by transmitting an operation code for a corresponding display toward the display on the basis of a recognition code according to the position is described (refer to JP-A-2004-96280).
An information processing apparatus with an AV function generally includes an infrared remote controller (hereinafter, referred to as an IR remote controller) for AV application operations, such as TV watching or DVD reproduction, and an IR remote control receiving unit is provided in the main body of the information processing apparatus. A user can operate AV application at the position distant from the main body of the information processing apparatus by operating the IR remote controller toward the remote control receiving unit provided in the main body of the information processing apparatus.
Furthermore, in the case of a notebook type information processing apparatus, analog TV output terminals such as an analog RGB output, an S terminal, or a composite and digital TV outputs such as a D terminal or an HDMI are provided as external display interfaces in addition to an LCD built in the main body, such that video output using AV application can be performed on a display device other than the built-in LCD. In the case where an external display device is connected as described above, a display device that is an output destination of the display screen or sound can be switched according to a user's instruction by key operation or using utility of a display driver.
Here, in the case where an image is output to an external display device, a user usually tends to operate the IR remote controller toward the display screen. However, in the information processing apparatus, the IR remote control receiving unit is built in the main body. Accordingly, even when the external display device is positioned apart from the information processing apparatus, it is necessary to operate the remote controller toward the information processing apparatus instead of the external display device.
On the other hand, a case in which a remote control receiving unit is provided by cable connection separately from the main body of an information processing apparatus by using an RS-232C interface or a USB interface of the information processing apparatus may also be considered. In this case, the remote control receiving unit may be provided near the external display device, such as a television, within a range of cable length. However, even in the case when the LCD built in the information processing apparatus is used, there was no choice but to operate the IR remote controller toward the remote controller receiving unit instead of the information processing apparatus.